ENGLAND enter the crucial third Test against Australia on Friday with captain Nasser Hussain admitting only half his side have guaranteed places for the WACA after their dismal start to the Ashes series.

While Australia look set to name an unchanged line-up for the third successive Test on Friday, the tourists have been forced to keep their selection options open, with poor form and injuries affecting nearly every department in the side.

There are still major injury doubts over Hampshire batsman John Crawley - rated at no more than 60 per cent today after sustaining a slight tear in his thigh - and key fast bowler Andrew Caddick had a second injection in as many days trying to overcome the back spasms which restricted his contribution to the latter stages of the innings defeat in Adelaide.

If those are not obstacles enough to overcome after heavy defeats in the opening two Tests in Brisbane and Adelaide, England are also concerned about the failure of too many of their players to make an impact on the series so far.

The bowling attack has struggled to restrict the free-scoring approach of Australia's batsmen while the England batting line-up, with the exception of Michael Vaughan after his 177 at Adelaide, have failed to translate starts into big totals.

It has prompted Hussain and coach Duncan Fletcher to declare selection open and they may include Chris Silverwood and Paul Collingwood, neither of whom has played a game for England on tour after being called up as cover for injuries, in their deliberations.

"We've played poorly in the two Tests so you have to really start afresh on selection," admitted Hussain.

"There's only about half the side that warrant a place on form at the moment and therefore everyone else is in the mix, whether they've played one game or no games as long as they're fit.

"Everyone is in the mix for selection which is why the next 48 hours is very important.

"That doesn't show confusion among us, it just shows that everyone here is here to play for England and if someone puts their hand up in the nets and bowls well they've got a chance of strolling out on Friday."

Hussain would not dream of using injuries as an excuse for England's lame displays in the opening two Tests, but while Australia's only problem has been a slight calf strain being carried by fast bowler Jason Gillespie, the tourists have been plagued with fitness worries virtually since they first arrived in Perth five weeks ago.

Darren Gough, Simon Jones and Ashley Giles have all had to return home with knee injuries, all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out of the first three Tests after failing to overcome the effects of a summer hernia operation while Vaughan, Crawley and Caddick have also suffered ailments.

"What the injuries have done is affect the whole basis of selection," Hussain explained.

"You're always trying to ease players in and trying to get players a game to get runs or overs under their belt, which means you're leaving somebody else out who could have got a game.

"It's become very difficult to get any continuity going with batting orders and bowling and people bowling in tandem - the best sides are well-oiled machines and you can see that from this Australian side."

England took steps to address the problems of form with Hussain himself taking charge of an optional net session in Adelaide on Monday, attempting to cajole and encourage Alex Tudor, Silverwood, Flintoff and Key during a session which was curtailed by rain.

That is the first move towards an attempt to match Australia's work ethic in the hope they can overcome them during the next five days at the WACA and keep the series alive until the Boxing Day fourth Test in Melbourne.

"Because we're playing against an exceptional side our players haven't been given an opportunity to express themselves and that's what playing against Australia is all about," stressed Hussain.

"There are windows of opportunities to express yourself against every other country in the world and at the moment we're not getting into the game enough to show their talents on this stage.

"We've had good sessions and good days, but if you take your eye off the ball for a minute against this Australian side then you can get rolled.

"Australia don't have a psychological hold on us but what they do have is players who do the disciplines and play the game of cricket better than us at the moment.

"They are putting the ball in the right areas, being much more positive about their batting - that's a technical and ability thing.

"The sooner we watch how they play, watch how they practice and watch their disciplines when they bowl and they bat, the sooner we'll get better."

Caddick missed training at the WACA today while he had a pain-killing injection to follow a steroid injection the previous day with a view to being given a thorough fitness test in the nets tomorrow, while Marcus Trescothick also missed the practice with an upset stomach but is not thought to be a doubt for the Test.